---
aliases:
- Achille Lauro
- Achille Lauro hijacking
category: Terrorism
created: 2026-05-17
location: Mediterranean Sea
start: 1985-10-07
summary: 1985 cruise ship attack described as an Israeli black propaganda operation
  designed to portray Palestinians as terrorists.
tags:
- Event
- Terrorism
- Italy
- Israel
title: Achille Lauro
updated: 2026-05-17
---

The [Achille Lauro](/events/achille-lauro/) was a cruise ship that was attacked in 1985. This event is described as an [Israeli](/places/israel/) "black" propaganda operation designed to portray Palestinians as deadly and cutthroat.[^1]

The operation was orchestrated by [Rafi](/organizations/rafi/), who passed instructions to [Mohammed Radi Abdullah](/people/mohammed-radi-abdullah/). [Radi](/people/mohammed-radi-abdullah/) then relayed orders to [Abul Abbas](/people/abul-abbas/), who was reportedly receiving millions from [Israeli](/places/israel/) intelligence officers posing as Sicilian dons. [Abbas](/people/abul-abbas/) gathered a team to attack the cruise ship, with instructions to make the attack severe to show the world what would happen if Palestinian demands were not met.[^1]

During the attack, an elderly [American](/places/united-states/) Jewish man in a wheelchair was killed and his body thrown overboard. For [Israel](/places/israel/), this was considered the best kind of anti-Palestinian propaganda.[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.